The Heart of Life
by partypantscuddy
Summary: So this is a birthday present for paramorefreak24. It's rated M, but for now the rating is T until I change it. Just a warning. ;


_This is a birthday present for the lovely paramorefreak24. Her exact request was 'What if Rachel has a birthday party with all her kiddie friends and Huddy tries not to get it on at Chuck E Cheese', and this is what I came up with. I hope you like it Kate, and Happy birthday! - xoxo Syd _

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><p>She leaned across the table and House couldn't help but gape at her extraordinary cleavage. Her fingers brushed against his hand as she reached for the salt shaker, feeling the hairs at the back of his neck rise on end as a spark flew between the two. She eyed him seductively, her gray eyes bright and burning with desire. If it weren't for the fact that they were in the sitting area of at a Chuck E. Cheese's for Rachel's fourth birthday, he would have had her then and there, right in front of the animatronic puppets.<p>

"So Cuddles, what do you say we skip out on this for an hour… or two… and go back home, and have a little fun of our own?" He suggested, giving her the once over. Her white t – shirt was a little too snug in the chest area, and her black jeans accentuated the curve of her ass and her sculpted legs perfectly.

"As much as I'd love to, we can't just up and leave our daughter's birthday party. We're her parents, our absence would be noticeable."

"We're not with her right now and no one's noticed."

"No, we're not, but that's because she's right there," his eyes moved in the direction of where Cuddy was currently gesturing. They stopped at the ball pit, where Rachel was currently having the time of her life with her fellow pipsqueaks.

"If we were to off and disappear, we'd be noticed." Cuddy finished nonchalantly.

"Party pooper."

"House, you don't know how badly I would love to be in bed with you right now, but my hormones have picked a terrible day to act out." She hissed under her breath, her foot rubbing up against his leg underneath the table.

The fact that she was feeling as frisky as he was only making things worse for him as he felt his blood run south.

"Oh, then I guess I'll just have to fix that when we get home. Won't we?" He replied as he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Yes, yes you will."

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><p>Cuddy watched from a distance as House helped Rachel throw a series of balls into one of the hit the target games. She watched the muscles in his arms tighten as he threw the balls, causing her to subconsciously lick her lips. She had always had always loved his arms. The way they felt around her at night, the way they looked when House wore short sleeved shirts, they had always been one of her biggest turn ons.<p>

_"Now is not the time to be having dirty thoughts about your boyfriend, you are at your daughter's birthday for god's sake, control yourself, you are **not **a horny teenage girl." _She shook her head as yet another inappropriate thought coursed through her mind before heading towards the man who was causing them himself.

"Mommy!" Rachel squeaked, noticing Cuddy's arrival before House.

"Hey honey." She replied before lifting her daughter up into her arms and kissing her cheek. "Are you having fun?"

"Yes!" The little girl replied nodding enthusiastically. "Thank you, Momma!"

"You're very welcome honey."

Half an hour later Cuddy leaned her head against House's shoulder as she watched Rachel interact with her friends. She had only been at Waldenwood for two and a half months and had already had quite a few friends. She had been so surprised to find out that her daughter was actually quite social at school. She had always feared that Rachel would have some sort of learning disability after being born premature and by a mother who had been abusing alcohol in the early months of her pregnancy. To know that her daughter was learning at an average, if not above average pace thanks to House, was a complete and utter relief.

She watched as Rachel and her friends ran through the indoor playground, crawling through the tunnels, and playing hide and seek. Since Rachel had started school, her weekends had consisted of commuting throughout the city to the various play dates she had with her little friends. The fact that Rachel was with her friends almost every Saturday gave her a day of alone time with House. The fourth Saturday of every month was when she had the pleasure of hosting the play dates. She actually did enjoy hosting them; Rachel's friends were practically becoming extended family, referring to her as Aunt Lisa, and even _House_ enjoyed having them around, although she was sure that was because he liked to tell Brian and Brandon ways to cause Rachel, Kate, Cassidy, and Sydney to scream and come running to her when they were wronged by them.

"What time is it?" She asked House as she looked outside noting that it was dark out.

"It's almost six."

"We have to cut the cake soon and open presents, as in now." She replied leaving his side and stretching, feeling his eyes on her as her shirt lifted above her navel, revealing the small of her back. She knew he was still as anxious as she was to get home even if his suggestive gestures had stopped only an hour or two earlier.

"Kids! Come on, it's time for cake!" She called out, pleased with herself as the parents of their guests had started to round up their children as Rachel joined her side.

The table that had been set up for them seated roughly twenty people, which was the exact number of people who had attended, including the parents of the children, and Cuddy's mother, sister, and nephews. Cuddy smiled as Rachel's face lit up when she came out with the cake. It was decorated with pirates, which her daughter had come to adore thanks to House's influence on her.

She set the cake down in front of Rachel before House counted to three and lead the chorus that began to sing 'Happy Birthday'.

"Happy birthday dear Rachel! Happy birthday to you!"

Her smile broadened as her little girl blew out the candles, and everyone applauded, several flashes going off and capturing the memory of the moment for eternity.

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><p>When the cake had been served and Cuddy had returned from the restroom after he had decided to smear frosting across her face, proceeding said decision by licking it off of her face, House watched as Rachel began to open her presents.<p>

After being with Cuddy for almost two years he had actually grown to care for Rachel as his own. She wasn't just his girlfriend's daughter anymore, he considered her his. He knew that after being around for so long she would remember him as the father figure, especially after she had called him 'Dad' earlier in the day. He had yet to tell Cuddy of the occurrence, for she had not been there to witness it when it happened. He knew she would have a reaction similar to the one she had had the first time Rachel had climbed into his lap; a dumbfounded look of disbelief written across her stunning features.

He turned his attention back to Rachel, who had just let out an excited squeal at whatever present she had just opened. He noted that it was his, a stuffed salt and pepper colored Husky with bright blue eyes. He had essentially given her a copy of himself in synthetic fiber form. He could feel his lips involuntarily turn upwards into a smile as Rachel ran towards him and climbed into his lap.

"Thank you dad." She said simply, before kissing his cheek and running back off towards the rest of her gifts.

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><p>When the fun had ended and the car was packed with all of Rachel's presents, Cuddy grabbed hold of House's hand as he drove home.<p>

It had been such a great day, she had honestly thought that nothing would have made it more perfect than it had already been, until she had heard Rachel call House 'dad' as she thanked him for her gift. The way House had reacted, it was almost as though it had been no big deal at all, but to her, it had meant everything. She had been over the moon about it since it had happened.

"What are you so annoyingly happy about?" She heard him tease, pulling her out of her reverie.

"Oh please, like you don't know. She called you dad House. I can't even begin to explain how happy that makes me feel…"

"It was bound to happen sooner or later Cuddles. You can't be that surprised. _I'm_ actually surprised it took her this long. It's been almost two years, I would have expected it sooner."

"But the way you reacted, it's like it was nothing to you."

"It wasn't the first time she called me 'dad'. She did it this morning when you were out."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"How do you feel about her calling you dad?"

"Honestly, if this had happened earlier, I would have been worried. But at this point in our relationship we've pretty much been through everything, and we've managed to make it through. Your cancer scare, my relapse… Her decision to call me dad now couldn't have come at a better time."

"Do you mean that?"

"Yeah, I do."

She was honestly completely and utterly surprised at how open he had just been with her. He had basically told her that he was confident that they would be together for years to come, and the thought made her smile broaden.

Cuddy let out a soft giggle as House pulled her against him, his lips coming in contact with her neck as she pressed herself against him.

"Mmm.." She moaned softly before turning to face him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck before running her lips along his jaw as his hands moved down to her hips. He pulled her forward and she could feel his stirring erection against her thigh.

As House's hands slid along her sides she kissed him, her tongue slipped into his mouth, her taste buds savoring his taste. He tasted of cherries, never having dropped his lollipop obsession, always with one in his mouth. It was one of the little things that made her think of him, never failing to make her smile.

They continued to kiss heatedly, her slim hands moving towards his shirt and skillfully unbuttoning it before running her hands along his broad chest and pushing it off. She bit her lip as House's lips found her neck once more, sucking at the point where her neck and shoulder met and causing her lower abdomen to tighten as the feelings of arousal she had kept bottled up for the entirety of the day began to break free.

"Oh god…" She mumbled right before House slipped her shirt over her head. His hands made their way towards her breasts, massaging them gently as his lips traveled south, leaving a trail of kisses along her collarbone. She ran her hand along his jaw as he kissed her taunt abdomen, his hands unzipping her pants and pulling them off before discarding them over his shoulder. She let out a soft laugh before instinctively moving her hands towards the buttons of his jeans and unbuttoning them, smirking as he pulled them off along with his boxers.

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><p>House smirked as Cuddy ran her hands through his hair, his mouth finding her abdomen once more before he grabbed hold of her thong with his teeth and pulled it down to her knees before she finished the job for him and kicked it off.<p>

He positioned himself above her, never failing to notice the smile on her face and the desire in her eyes as he thrust into her, grinning as she let out a soft cry of approval as her lips parted slightly and her head fell back against the pillows in bliss.

His rhythm was slow and steady, focusing more on roaming his hands over the body of the woman who meant more to him than anything. Their lips met and he held her against him as he kissed her neck again, his hands roaming to her waist as he grabbed onto her hips and pulled her against him as he thrust into her, his pace increasing.

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><p>Cuddy pulled away from House's lips before moving her mouth towards his neck and kissing it as her finger nails grazed the skin of his back and her legs wrapped around his hips. She was so close to climaxing that she could feel the coil in her abdomen wind itself up to its fullest.<p>

One more thrust was all it took for her to gasp before calling his name out as she climaxed. She pressed her lips against his neck to silence herself, knowing just how loud she could be at times. Several minutes later she smiled as House climaxed, calling out her name before collapsing beside her.

She nestled herself against him, her index finger rubbing circles on his chest as his arm wrapped around her before taking her hand and kissing it.

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><p>"You know something Cuddles?"<p>

"What?"

"Your body is a _wonderland_." He replied, pulling her against him.

"Why thank you, yours isn't that far from one either."

"You wanna know something else?"

"Hm?"

"You're the heart of my life. You're everything that's good."

It was something he needed to say, something he had never said before. It was one of the times when he let her know how much she meant to him, even if it was with just a few simple words.  
>He watched her smile before kissing the spot over his heart.<p>

"I love you." She mumbled.

"I love you too."


End file.
